


A tale of two orphans

by dreamerbydawn



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe- No Supernatural, Charlie is still Celeste when the story starts, Gen, Sibling Bonding, Stanford Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-08
Updated: 2015-07-08
Packaged: 2018-04-08 07:50:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4296606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamerbydawn/pseuds/dreamerbydawn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world where they weren't hunters, but Mary Winchester still died and Sam still left for Stanford, Dean loses his last remaining family when, one stormy night, a drunk John Winchester crashes his car into oncoming traffic. The accident leaves a certain redheaded teenager by the name of Celeste Middleton just as orphaned and alone in the world as Dean. </p><p> But maybe they didn't have to be as alone as they expected, maybe they learn that family doesn't end with blood. This is their beginning.  </p><p>---</p><p> Also known as the alternate version where Dean meets the little sister he never wanted a lot earlier and has a chance at a family after all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A tale of two orphans

**Author's Note:**

> Please read the following warnings: 
> 
> 1) Mentions of Dean working the streets - nothing explicit.  
> 2) John Winchester's A+ parenting  
> 3) I love Sam, I do. But he's NOT a part of this story.  
> 4) Charlie is fourteen in this version.  
> 5) Winchesters still live in Lawrence Kansas. 
> 
> All that said, please do enjoy the story!!

 

 She yelped with surprise and when a hand came up to cover her mouth, the first thing fourteen year old Celeste Middleton thought to do, was kick her attacker with all the force she could muster up in her slight body.

 

 Behind her, her assaulter let out a few choice curses, obviously surprised, but not enough to completely lose his hold on her. Knowing that wouldn’t do, she bit into the hand covering her hand mouth, ready to scream the instant he let go.

 

 Her plan worked right to the point where he completely let her go, but she hadn’t realised that it was only his hold that was keeping her up after she’d lost her footing when he had grabbed her.

 

 Now she went crashing to the ground, landing with a definite thud and the kind of exclamation that would have instantly had her grounded, should her mother ever hear it.

 

 Continuing with her curse, she began to scramble away from the man, all the while willing her brain to function again. She was trapped in a supply closet with the dude right in front of the only way out, and she’d have to fight him to get out.

 

 She didn't think that would work in her favor, but if she held him off till someone who had noticed the commotion came along - yes, she just needed to hold her own in a fight, even if there wasn’t a hope of winning. Where was a sword when she needed one?

 

 “Jesus kid, calm down” The man called out, his hand settling on her shoulder and preventing her from successfully crawling forward for a weapon.

 

 He was guiding her to turn around and it wasn’t a bad idea. She at least needed to know what he looked like, hopefully well enough to describe him for someone to make a proper sketch for the cops later.

 

 When she finally let herself glance up through her red bangs, she only blinked. Sitting on her ass on a cold tile floor, she stared up at the tall, lanky looking youth with short cropped sandy hair and bright green eyes; one she recognised.

 

 “You okay there?” He asked, tone gentle as he crouched in front of her, his hands held up to indicate he meant no harm.

 

 Her first memory of this man was also a time he scared her. She had been sitting by the hospital bed, counting each of her mother’s breaths, when he came dashing into the room, all but skidding to a halt with a horrified look on his face.

 

 She had been startled at the sudden arrival and stared up at him with confusion and slight panic, as he stood frozen just inside the door, staring blankly at the bed. It was only when he had finally walked forward, passing her mother’s bed for the next one, that she realised he was here for the other patient.

 

 The man hadn’t seemed to see her or her mother at all, walking instead in a weird trance like state to the person lying on the next bed as he choked out a quiet disbelieving _‘dad’_

 

 After the first few hours where they had sat in silence, each of them next to one of the unconscious patients, she had seen his shock fade into desperation and then into anger as he screamed at his father. Even in the ten minutes it took for one of the nurses to forcibly make him leave the room, she had learned enough to know the man on the bed was not a pleasant man and definitely not a good dad.He was an abusive drunk that had done nothing but fail his boys, one run away and the other in front of her.

 The son that was actually there hadn’t even actually looked at her the second day. And when he had realised it was her parents his father had crashed into, he had stared at her for a good five minutes before disappearing into the toilet and throwing up violently.

 

 They hadn’t talked though. She knew his name was Dean Winchester and she had heard him blame his father for leaving not just him and his brother orphans but for wrecking her life. He had said it when he thought she was asleep though, and this was the first time they were actually face to face, in a kind of situation to acknowledge each other.

 

 “Hey? You still with me?” His words yanked her back to the reality of him in front of her.

 

 “What - what’s happening?” She asked, now confused. He had never meant her harm before, in fact he tried to avoid her out of guilt.

 

 “You tell me” He answered “You ran away and you committed fraud from what I overheard from the people waiting to arrest you the minute you walk up there”

 

 Her heart started jack hammering very loudly. She had run away from the foster home they had put her in and trying to pay the medical bills to keep her mother alive had meant scamming the insurance company and forging a few papers.

 

 But they had found her now and were going to take her away. They had known she’d come back to her mother. How had she been so stupid? She was going to jail.

 

 “Hey, hey, easy. Just breathe” Dean Winchester soothed, his hand moving forward in slow predictable movements to rest on her shoulder again.

 

 “I’m - I just - I don’t -” She had no idea what she was trying to say.

 

 “Okay, it’s okay. Look, someone is going to walk in here soon and see us. You need to get out of this building and fast okay?” His words were slow and clear in an effort to get through her haze of panic, and thankfully it was working.

 

 She bobbed her head in a nod. She had to run. She was going to have to disappear. Pull a Frodo without the ring. Harry without the cloak. Actually, she had nothing to help.

 

 “Here” As though he had heard her thoughts, he pushed something into her hand “Wear that and take the fire exit. Wait for me by the parking lot alright?”

 

 Celeste looked from the hoodie she was holding to the young man in front of her, completely confused. He was helping her; he had just stopped her from going upstairs to her mother’s room and getting caught.

 

 “You’re my Strider” She told him, because, of course that’s the first thing that came to her mind.

 

 Confusion flashed on his face for a brief moment, understanding following on its heels “Just get to the parking lot alright Frodo? And don’t run off”

* * *

 Dean watched the teen disappear through the door meant for the fire escape, before making his own way through the busy hallways.

 

 The first few weeks he had seen the girl, he had wanted to be nowhere near her. He couldn’t bring himself to meet her eyes. To see the damage his father caused - to see the damage he had caused.

 

 And deep down Dean knew it was his fault. He had kicked his dad out, he had told the man to bring Sam back home or fuck off and hadn’t cared to stop him from taking the car. He should have, the man was drunk - but when was he not - and he had lost his license two years ago for DUI.

 

 But Dean hadn’t cared if his dad crashed into some lamp post, he didn’t care for anything except getting Sammy back and after having spent hours driving around, searching for his brother in the howling storm, he had come home to his dad close to passing out drunk.

 

 It had pissed him off, seeing the man drowning in a bottle like it was a normal day, like Dean hadn’t just lost the one thing in his life that mattered and so he had bodily picked up the larger man, thrust the keys in his hand and asked him to get out, get his brother or never dare come back.

 

 Then Dean had picked up the half emptied bottle and passed out sometime around five in the morning, only waking up when an officer told him his dad had crashed his car and was admitted in a hospital.

 

 Dean’s world had upended then and guilt and fear and loss had taken such a strong hold on him, it was a miracle he didn’t completely pass out on the drive over - the officer that offered him a ride certainly thought he was going to.

 

 It had taken him three days of sitting by a brain dead father to realise that in one night, he had lost both of his remaining family. If being completely alone was not enough to make him sick, the fourteen year old girl that he belatedly realised was the other victim had done the job.

 

 Celeste Middleton, the defenseless, bony little redhead had lost her parents when John Winchester had driven the Impala into her parents Sedan. The fourteen year old was as alone in the world as he was and the blame for that had fallen squarely on his dad and him.

 

 It’s what kept him from looking her in the eye. In the three months since, their hospital visits had coincided countless times, until this last week when she disappeared.

 

 Instead, the cops were back and asking for her and since then, Dean had haunted the halls as often as he could, waiting to catch a glimpse of red before anyone else did.

 

 They were not putting that girl in a jail damnit. That’s one thing he knew for sure in his life.

* * *

 

 Her feet tapped on the ground, her nervousness making her cast worried glances around the parking lot repeatedly. Half the time she expected some fifteen cops to jump out from behind the cars and surround her at gunpoint.

 Of course the place was deserted, and stayed that way until Dean Winchester walked towards her, covering the distance in long strides and not pausing until he was by her side. Without a word he turned her by the shoulder and led her down a few spaces and towards a black Impala.

 

 “Seatbelt” was the first word he said since climbing in and Celeste fiddled uneasily with the strap.

 

 “I’m not gonna hurt you kiddo” He assured gently “But we really need to get you far away from here”

 

 She believed him of course. He had already saved her from a trap - an obvious one too, how she had been sure no one had tracked her she didn’t know, but really a week of waiting time seemed enough before deciding she was safe to return to her mother. The cops had just been smarter than her, or she was just really stupid.

 

 But she hadn’t seen her mom and wouldn’t be able to anytime soon, if ever “Can I ever come back here?”

 

 Her voice was shaking, tears already springing up at the possibility of never being able to see her mother again, when he reached out again, this time with a comforting hand on her knee.

 

 “We’ll figure it out alright? Let’s just leave now” He told her, and though it didn’t stop the tears yet, she nodded and buckled her seatbelt; an action he took as permission to start the engine and pull out of the parking space.

* * *

 

 

 She noticed when they left town but didn’t care enough to ask where they were going and she didn’t wonder why he had picked Lawrence city either. That answer however, proved self explanatory when he pulled into the driveway and led her into what was obviously his house.

 

 Looking around, Celeste noticed the living room was a mess. There were emptied bottles and crushed beer cans, a pizza box with one remaining slice and even a pile of unopened letters and untouched newspapers, like he had simply picked them up and thrown them to the corner.

 

 The young girl simply stood in the middle of the room and by her side, Dean Winchester seemed as lost as she was. Maybe another time the long stretch of silence would have bothered her, but now they both just stood and stared, her gaze at least drifting to the pizza.

 

 “Are you hungry?” He finally asked and when she nodded, he left her there to enter what was probably the kitchen.

 

 She heard him cursing as he returned and admitted “I need to go to the store”

 

 “I can’t come with can I?” She asked, making him shake his head in apology.

 

 “People here know me, I can’t explain you.” he was telling her what she already guessed “Tell me what you want”

 

  Now she simply shrugged. Any food would do, she didn’t really care. Her silence made him sigh and run a weary hand down his face. It was the first time she really paid attention to how sickly he looked - definitely undernourished and the bags under his eyes, not the only sign of exhaustion.

 

 “Pizza?” She finally asked, her sudden words making him startle, but he nodded all the same.

 

 Absently she saw him twist the keys he was holding before turning around, and the sudden realisation that he was going to leave - drive away - made her heart lurch. He would drive away and she'd have to wait for him to come back, just like she waited all night for her parents...

 

 “Don’t go!” her shriek made him freeze. “Don’t drive. Please.”

 

 She had been on a car plenty times since the accident, cop cars, the CPS lady’s, the drive here with him, but she hadn’t waited for anyone to drive to her, and an irrational fear took hold. What if he died and it was the cops that came knocking to tell her the news just like last time?

 

 Celeste didn’t even know when she had crossed the room, but her arms were wrapped around his middle and she was clinging to him, the strange fear not abating till he placed a hand on her head.

 

 “Okay, okay, we’ll just order in, yeah?” He promised, not making an effort to unlatch her from his person.

* * *

 

 

 Dean wouldn’t claim to completely understand why she looked so terrified but the ‘don’t drive’ gave him a hint. And when she had thrown herself forward to keep him there, he couldn’t do much but hold the shaking little girl.

 

 With her head buried in his chest and skinny arms around him, he felt a surge of protectiveness that he usually reserved for when Sammy was upset. That’s what made him stroke her hair and place a gentle kiss on top of the redhead.

 

 His guilt had brought her here, and he hadn’t thought of what to do except get her away from the hospital safely. With that done though, he had no idea what came next, in fact he had no certainties whatsoever.

 

 But he did have the natural instinct that told him how to take care of a kid, especially a scared one and so he led her to the couch and let her curl up there before placing his car keys in her line of sight; leaving the room only after.

 

 The pizza he ordered was delivered half an hour later and after the quiet dinner, he had given her the room upstairs. He noticed the backpack she had and saw her in her pajamas when she made her way to brush her teeth, but he knew there couldn’t be a lot of clothes in that tiny bag of hers.

 

 He really had not thought this through - not that there was a choice here for him to wonder if he made the wrong one. When he had seen people from the CPS take her to a foster home, he had been sure she would be safe.

 

 Guilty as he had felt from the first moment, he hadn’t felt responsible for her. The government had a whole department for that after all and within the first week, she had been put in a foster home. But when she shot that situation to hell, he had to keep her from being alone in the world.

 

 How? He wondered, what could he possibly do? Taking care of her himself was out of question, the last kid he raised couldn’t get away from the shitty life he offered fast enough, and he was no good at much of anything really.

 

 Trying to not focus too far into the future, he decided to clean up instead. In the three months without Sammy and dad, he hadn't made much of an effort and it showed. At least Celeste had gone to bed early and he had the time to tidy up.

 

 Once that was done, he'd be getting some much needed sleep; It wasn’t like he could work tonight and leave her alone in the house, so he might as well get the rest.

* * *

 

 

 When Celeste woke up, she was first confused by her room, but the memories of the previous day had caught up soon enough and a note on the door said Dean was at work and specified a time he’d be home.

 

 She wondered what she was meant to do the whole day, but a small time piece caught her attention from it's place on the writing table nearby, and she realised she had slept through the most of it. Having spent the past week hiding in the basement of a family she knew was on vacation, the last proper night of sleep she had gotten was at the foster home before she ran away.

 

 So the idea that she had slept over ten hours didn’t bother her much. Instead she cleaned up and changed into the previous day’s jeans and a fresh shirt before heading downstairs.

 

 Once there though, she paused with surprise. Dean had clearly cleaned up last night, the bottles were gone along with the rest of the trash, there were fresh groceries in the kitchen and a glass of milk and some toast already on the table.

 

 She took a little longer to investigate the rest of the house before settling down with her book, losing herself in the world of fantasy until she heard the sound of the front door. With a new sense of nervousness, she crept out to the hallway and stood fidgeting until he noticed her.

 

 “Hey kiddo” Dean smiled and she returned it hesitantly.

 

 “How was your day?” She found herself asking rather lamely, the grease on his face making her wonder if he was a mechanic.

 

 “The usual” He shrugged, making his way to the living room and stopping to stare at the dinner table just like she had done in the morning.

 

 “You made me breakfast, so I made - uh not dinner but - well I like a snack when I get home from school and thought you might be hungry too?” She babbled, the tension fading only when she saw his lips twitch.

 

 “Thanks. I think i’ll shower first though” Dean answered.

 

 “Oh. Okay. Can I have one then?” She asked, pointing to the mini sandwiches she had put on a plate.

 

 This time he laughed. It was just a quick bark but he ruffled her hair as he passed, and it was the first genuine sign of affection she had had in months that she couldn’t help her smile.

* * *

 When Dean returned from the shower, he saw her push the plate in his direction and obligingly he took the seat across. He had definitely been starving and appreciated the food enough to not immediately notice she was twisting her hand and shifting awkwardly in her seat, when he did though, he only raised an eyebrow.

 

 “Do you like Lord of the Rings?” She asked out of the blue, and it took a minute for him to see The Hobbit on the table in front of her.

 

 “Everyone worth a damn likes Tolkien” He answered, the words clearly relaxing her a bit.

 

 “Is he your favorite too?” was her next question.

 

 “Vonnegut” He replied, making her bob her head and ask a few more questions, and it was only when he had to give an overview of Slaughterhouse five that he realised what she was doing.

 

 “There a reason we’re playing twenty questions?” He questioned, slightly amused.

 

 “It’s just nice to talk to someone again” She told him with way more honesty than he had expected.

 

 Dean only sighed; She was lonely and he didn’t particularly want her to be sad, so he decided to make a compromise.

 

 “Alright kiddo, we need to sort out a few things, you know that don’t you?” He asked as gently as he could, and when she stared at him like a deer caught in headlights he forced a smile “We get that out of the way and we’ll find something else to do”  

 

 “I already sorted it out, well kind of” She admitted, taking him completely by surprise.

 

 He hadn’t the faintest clue what to do but she did? Well, as long as one of them had an idea, he supposed that was a start. So instead of offering a comment, he waited for her to start talking, something that didn’t take very long.

 

 “Well I haven’t got the details but i’m going to get a fake Godmother. The story is she hasn’t talked to my mom in years, but she finally heard the news and wants to help me. Until they find me though she’s going to pay the hospital to take care of mom, see? And - and I haven’t figured where i’m going next but I can make a payment from each town and keep changing right? As long as they don’t find me I can - “

 

 Celeste was talking fast and even without the mile a minute babble, Dean was sure his head would still be spinning. What the hell kind of world did the kid live in to come up with that crazy plan?

 

 “Whoa! whoa! Hold on there just a minute” He finally cut in, but it only made her speak faster in a new haste.

 

 “I just need to stay with you a few days until I sort out the details but after -” She was saying, and Dean had to raise a hand to cut out the next oncoming tirade.

* * *

 

 “So let me get this straight. You are going to be on the run again?” He asked, tone absolutely flat.

 

 “I can’t stay in any town long enough without someone finding me. Fake Id or not i’ll -” Her answer died at the stormy expression on his face.

 

  Carefully, she studied him as he took in deep breaths. He was angry, she could tell that much and she knew her plan was a little - well okay, maybe a lot - complicated. But she’d figure it out right? She had to.

 

 “How long do you plan on doing that?” His tone was short and made her blurt out the most honest answer.

 

 “Until my mom wakes up” She said “Then she’ll take care of it”

 

 That answer made the colour drain out of Dean’s face though, his green eyes going wide, and she knew it wasn’t that simple of course, so she added “I know it could be years”

 

 She was almost sure her words had broken Dean. He just stared wordlessly at her for a long moment before burying his hands in his face and muttering a string of ‘fuck’ under his breath.

 

 “Uh Dean?” She called hesitantly, using his name for the first time.

 

 “You’re waiting for your mom to wake up?” He asked then, his eyes set intently on hers and now it was her turn to fall silent.

 

 “She will” Celeste mumbled quietly, pausing in thought before adding “Someday she’ll wake up, she's not gone yet”

 

 “Kiddo -” He seemed at a loss for words and it made her repeat her statement.

 

 “She’ll wake up and i’ll - i’ll tell her i’m sorry” She insisted now, because she really needed to apologise. She had to.

 

 “Sorry? For what?” Dean was frowning at her but she couldn’t look at him.

 

 “For asking her to come pick me up in the storm.” She answered, clarifying when she saw his confusion “It was stupid, I was at a sleepover and I - I got scared of the storm and I just wanted her to come get me. I really wanted her to come get me immediately and I didn’t listen when she said - I made them drive and I -”

 

 Her words only died when Dean hugged her, then she just gave in to the guilt and fear as she cried to him in earnest. Dean wiped away the first few tears rolling down her cheek before kissing her forehead and pulling her into his chest again, shushing her softly.

 

 “It’s not your fault, you couldn’t have known” He promised after a good ten minutes and she only shook her head stubbornly.

 

 “Dad said it was bad weather. He said he’d come first thing in the morning. I didn’t listen. I made them drive”

* * *

 

 

 If she wasn’t crying so hard in his arms, he would have laughed,  because fuck the world, it was funny - in a dark twisted sort of way.

 

 She blamed herself for making her parents drive. He blamed himself for doing the same to his dad. And now his dad was never going to wake up and neither was her mom, yet both of them were in the same hospital room, hooked up on twenty different machines and just a beating heart to keep them from being put six feet under.

 

 “I kicked him out” Dean admitted then, feeling her still in his arms at the unexpected words.

 

 “That night - I was pissed. I’ve taken his shit for years, never having a job, disappearing for months, the drinking, the hits... But that evening when I came home, he told me my kid brother was gone. He said Sam left and was never coming back. He had even asked Sam not to. And I - I lost it. I looked everywhere and when I couldn’t - he was gone and my dad was home drinking.... So I kicked him out. He could come back with Sam or fuck off. Next thing I know, he -”

 

 The words were painful to get out, he hardly managed. It wasn’t his dad or even himself he felt sorry for, it was for her. If he hadn’t sent John Winchester out, if he had just let his dad pass out on the couch like he usually did, she would have a home and parents and - fuck - just fuck!

 

 “You want to blame anyone, blame me. It’s my fault and  I - I’m so sorry. I wish I hadn’t thrown him out that night. I wish - I wish I could get your parents back for you. I just wish - I’m sorry”

 

 Dean’s throat closed up as the tears he couldn’t stop streamed down his face, the younger girl drawing back with red eyes to simply stare at him. He couldn’t meet her gaze though, because all these days she might have blamed his dad, but it was only because she never knew it was his fault. And now she did.

 

 “I don’t blame you” She said quietly before placing her head back on his chest. “You didn’t make him drink”

 

 Those last five words - Dean couldn’t explain how his heart seized at them, because damnit, no he didn’t. His dad did that, ever since their mom died, the man had failed everything. He left Dean to take care of his brother, to take care of putting food on the table and roof over their heads and Dean tried. He honestly did but it was never good enough.

 

 Even when he gave everything, from his body to his life, it wasn’t good enough to stop his dad from hitting him and it wasn’t good enough for Sam who blamed Dean for their dad. Sam who could never see that Dean was trying everything -  Sam who didn’t even say goodbye.

 

 But damnit, he missed Sammy. The kid was all he had and he was proud of him for getting out of this shitty life, he really was. And he could understand why Sam didn’t want him in his life anymore, Dean was a screw up. But his brother hadn’t even talked to him before he left, he hadn’t even known…

 

 “I’m sorry” She mumbled into his shirt and it made him realise he had said all of that out loud, but couldn’t bring himself to care anymore.

* * *

 

 

 Celeste woke up with her hand still in Dean’s shirt. She vaguely remembered the two of them staying in the living room in absolute silence for hours, at some point she had fallen asleep, and not long after that Dean had carried her to bed. 

 

 She remembered not wanting to be alone and holding on, until he had given in and climbed onto the bed and now he was still there. She was lying on his arm and had her legs thrown over his, forming a weird hook that kept him in place.

 

 For a moment, she wanted to stay there because it felt safe. Not the innocent kind with her parents where she thought nothing would go wrong ever, but the kind where she knew that no matter what went wrong, Dean could probably take care of her. It made her wish he was her brother.

 

 Careful to not jostle him, she tried to peek at the clock and noticed it was seven in the morning and she had no idea what time he had to go to work.

 

 “Dean?” She pressed a hand to his cheek “Dean when do you leave for work?”

 

  Her question had him stirring, one green eye opening to spy the clock before he groaned loudly. That was followed by a long spell of silence, both of them thinking back on yesterday, until Dean raised his head to check the time again.

 

 When he sighed and tried to move, she noticed him flex his arm - obviously it wasn’t meant to be used as a pillow for good many hours.

 

 “That’s not good” She commented with a slight grin, making him flick her ear lightly before rolling off the side of the bed.

 

 She watched him leave the room and simply settled back in bed for a few minutes, not one to laze around though,  she decided on making her way to the kitchen to get the breakfast started.

 

 It seemed to surprise Dean again to see her there, but she was focusing on the potato waffle on the pan.

 

 “You realise that’s meant to be in the oven?” he questioned.

 

 “Sue me” She snapped playfully, of course she could read the instructions and knew how to thaw the frozen food, but preheating an oven and waiting for the tray was hard work.

 

 “You’re going to eat it” Dean shrugged before walking past and starting to rummage through the shelves.

 

 “What? Half is yours” She answered, pointing to the three she already had on the pan and three more that she had set aside to cook next.

 

 “Nah, i’m good” he answered, pulling out a packet of what looked like oatmeal in explanation.

 

 “Seriously? How old are you?” She demanded, eyeing the offensive food in his hand.

 

 “Shut it red” He shot back, proceeding to get a bowl and ignore her look of disgust.

 

 Still making faces, she pointed at the two glasses of milk “There’s sugar in mine, so unless you want that too, yours is the one with the rings on it”

 

 Again she noticed Dean’s surprise before he rolled his eyes “It’s yours, put it back in the fridge for later”

 

 Before she could question that, he added “It’s for growing kids”

 

 That sentence made her pause and turn to pay attention to where Dean was stood against the counter, already taking in spoonfuls of his oatmeal with pretty much the same blank expression she would wear if she was forced to have some of that.

 

 She switched her gaze to the half empty packet by his side then and figured quite easily that it’s all he bought when he was by himself, clearly not spending on the food he had stocked up yesterday.

 

 That realisation made her move forward and pry the bowl from his hand, not caring that his spoon was still halfway to his mouth when she yanked the rest of it away.

 

 “What are you -” he began but she only shook her head.

 

 Within minutes, she had put away the three waffles she’d been waiting to heat, insteadshe grabbed an extra bowl and plate, quick to split half the oatmeal and waffles onto it.

 

 “If we’re saving on food then we’re each having half the good stuff and half the disgusting stuff, it’s only fair” She clarified when she saw him looking stunned “but uh, since I already poured the milk, can we have two glasses just for today?”

 

 She could tell that he knew better than to try and deny what she had already noticed but he still seemed at a loss.

 

 “You hate that thing” Was all he could finally manage.

 

 “You don’t?” She quirked an eyebrow in question, and when he remained where he was, she sighed “Don’t you have somewhere to be after this?”

 

That got him moving again, though there was something soft in his expression. Something that made her think he didn’t know much kindness before.

* * *

 

 

 “Hey red” Dean called from the door, making her poke her head into the hallway with a question on her face.

 

 “About your plan last night, I’ve got a few ideas” He informed “So pick a fake name for yourself, one you want to stick with”

 

 She looked surprised but he didn’t wait for her to ask and simply shut the door behind him.

 

 “Buttcrack!” She cursed loudly from inside, and Dean turned just in time to see an indignant redhead yank the door open from the other side.

 

 “You’ve got to give me more than that!” She insisted, hands on her hips and glaring at him with absolute seriousness, not that Dean could focus on that.

 

 “Did you just call me buttcrack?” He asked, incredulous even as her face turned the same shade of her hair.

 

 “Asshole, buttcrack, same difference” She justified and suddenly, Dean was howling with laughter.

 

 If he hadn’t already decided that she was something special, he would have definitely known then.

* * *

 

 “You start making a list yet dork?” He called, walking into the house that evening and she couldn’t help but smile at the obvious amusement still on his face.

 

“Dinah Lance” She answered, only half serious.

 

 “I’m a guy that would still like to fantasise about the Canary without having you pop into my head” Dean shot down with a roll of his eyes and now, suddenly more interested, she followed him up the stairs.

 

 “Sarah Jane” She suggested next.

 

 “Hot, but you don’t look like a Sarah” He answered and as curious as she was about his reasoning, she had to agree. She could never remember to answer to that.

 

 “Well no, but Hermione Granger and Princess Leia are too obviously fake” She continued, making Dean look back over his shoulder.

 

 “You don’t say” He commented dryly.

 

 “Prudence - Prue Halliwell” She tried next, now leaning on the bathroom door and keeping up her banter even though she heard the shower start.

 

 For once second she thought he might not answer and was fully prepared to leave when he called out with heavy sarcasm  “Because our lives are so charmed”

 

 “Touche” She replied with a grin, before turning thoughtful “Willow Rosenberg”

 

 “Finally a redhead” Dean answered from the other side of the door.

 

 “A nerdy redhead lesbian, give me the magic and i’ll be her” Celeste sighed wistfully, not immediately noticing the sound of running water had stopped.

 

 “Lesbian?” Dean asked, making her shrug before she realised he couldn’t see.

 

 “Totally dig the chicks” She said out loud, getting another momentary pause from Dean.

 

 “I’d share the pornmags if you weren’t fourteen” He finally quipped, making her grin again.

 

 Quickly changing her voice to impersonate a teacher, she said “Great, so in today’s class we’ve learned that right now there’s no porn and no names”  

 

 She heard Dean chuckle “Tell you what kiddo, i’ll get you a copy of busty asian beauties for your next birthday, fifteen is old enough to have porn”

 

 “I’ll hold you to that” She hummed, entirely comfortable where she was seated against the door.

 

 “Do that. And names, pick something badass” He suggested. “Less Emily or Rachel, more Alex or Charlie”

 

 “Charlie, It’s a C like Celeste” She perked up, that was a name she could get used to and she told him as much.

 

 “Charlie it is then” Dean agreed from inside and again, her smile stretched.

* * *

 

 

 “So do I hafta pick a last name too or will you tell me more?” She trailed after him again, not that he had the heart to comment on it when there was a slight bounce to her step.

 

 Dean knew he probably looked less undead and more human today than he had in a long time too, and the blame was solely hers to bear. Still, there was worry under her smile, because jokes aside they were talking about her life, so Dean decided to be honest.

 

 “We’re moving” He announced, keeping his back to her as he puttered around the kitchen.

 

 “We?” She asked, like he had known she would.

 

 “Someone’s gotta watch out for your scrawny ass” He shrugged, still attempting to keep this light.

 

 “But what about - your life here?” There was a frown in her voice, though her worries didn’t bother him.

 

 “What life?” He asked, words harsher than he intended.

 

 “Your friends? Your job?” She pointed out, seeming entirely unoffended by the way he had snapped.

 

 “I can find a garage to work at anywhere and I don’t really do friends” He informed, continuing to face away from her and trying to focus on the bell peppers he was trying to chop for dinner.

 

 Maybe it was her long silence that made him think she had accepted it, but of course it couldn’t be that easy.

 

 “But - are you - are you doing it for me?” There was hesitation and just a dash of timidness to her tone, things that absolutely did not suit her in his opinion.

 

 “No i’m doing it so five months later I’m not going to wake up in the middle of the night and wonder if you’re okay” He answered, though he realised the truth in those words only after he said them.

 

  “I mean - are you doing it because you still think it’s your fault or because you want to?” She asked, a forced steadiness to her tone that made him finally turn around.

 

 “I think it’s my fault” He admitted, not missing the flash of disappointment on her face “I feel guilty as all hell that my dad wrecked your life, but they put you in a foster home. You’d have been okay if you didn’t screw that up. So no i’m not doing this because I think i’m supposed to.”

 

 She had flinched at his mention of her mistake, but he had held her gaze all the same “I’m doing it because you’re like the little sister I never wanted”

 

 “Oh. Okay” She squeaked before scurrying forward to give him a hug.

* * *

 

 “You know Charlie can be short for Charlene? Like Charlene McGee? Firestarter? Pretty cool huh?” She asked through a mouthful of food.

 

 The two of them were back in the living room, sitting at the table with their dinner set in front of them and entirely comfortable with each other. It was weird that three days ago he was a complete stranger and yet, she definitely cared for Dean Winchester now, and it only helped that he called her his little sister.  Well, like one anyway.

 

 “You do not want McGee for a last name kiddo” He pointed out and yeah, it would be like voluntarily turning into a pinata for the bullies were she still going to school.

 

 “Nope, but Bradbury?” She suggested instead “I mean I can’t use Tolkein and he is my next favorite and Charlie Bradbury sounds good enough doesn’t it?”

 

 Dean seemed thoughtful for a long moment before he gave her a quick thumbs up and agreed “We can work with that”      

 

 “Great! So what kind of id’s do I need? I mean it’s going to be like a super long road trip right? And i’m not exactly old enough to have a license and no one will believe i’m 16 even if I wanted to try a learner’s permit and I don’t really -” She was still chattering at him when she noticed his eye roll.

 

 “Get me your school records, i’ll take care of the rest” Dean cut in, now making her eyes widen with surprise that was quickly followed by confusion.

 

 “School records?” She parroted and he only looked up with a smirk.

 

 “Here’s what is going to happen, we’re going to get you fake documents but that’s the last fraud we’re getting into. We’ll move to a new town, get you into school and i’ll figure out how to pay the hospital bills, that sound good?”

 

 His words made no sense. She hadn’t even thought of going back to school, not that she didn’t like it but it had never fit in with her plans of being on the run and now it surprised her. When Dean said they’d move, she hadn’t expected him to mean they would settle some place particular.

 

 Before she could completely process that and all the reasons it probably wouldn’t work, he had stood and was casually informing her he’d be going out for a bit.

 

 “Where?” She blinked, the confusion only increasing.

 

 “Local bar” He shrugged but for some reason, refused to meet her eyes.

* * *

 

 Dean could feel the exhaustion settle into his bones even as he got up, scrubbing the dirt from his jeans. He hadn’t been so lucky tonight, none of the truckers had wanted to fuck him, all three settling for a back alley blowjob.

 

 Still, he checked the pocketed money and decided there was no way he was taking another dick tonight, not to mention the crowd in the bar was starting to wane anyway.

 

 He had never thought he’d come back to this, not after he dropped out of high school to get a full time job. In the years after that, he had worked at the garage and had a second gig as a bartender or anything else he could find, when they were stretched too thin.

 

 And except for the time when Sammy had wanted to go on a school trip to some science fair, the time their dad stole their rent and when he crashed the Impala the first time, Dean had stayed safely away from this job.

 

 He’d gotten back into the job after this accident though, the paycheck he earned wouldn’t cover all the medical bills and as kind as his boss had been, letting him fix the Impala in their garage while only spending for the parts they had to order, he still needed the extra money.

 

 It was only until he was ready to let dad go, that’s what he had promised himself. Not willing to be completely alone, he had kept from turning off the life support, plus there was a small part of him that hoped Sammy would call and maybe he’d want to say goodbye to dad as well.

 

 Then she happened and she was holding on to hope that her mother would wake up someday and Dean could not take that away from her. So he had decided that end of this week, he would pull the plug on his dad and settle those bills first.

 

 He’d also have to figure out if he wanted to cremate the man or bury him, and after all that, he would have to find someone to create a new identity for her. As capable as she had been scamming the insurance company, he would stick with a professional this one time.

 

 After all that, they would move and he’d stop working the streets and find an escort service or something. He’d need a second steady source of income if he was going to continue paying medical bills and support a kid.

 

 At least he had told her they had another two weeks to spend in Lawrence. They couldn’t stay longer than that, school term had already started. With a sigh and too many things on his mind, Dean walked back home.

* * *

 

 “Charlie Bradbury. Charlie. Charlie Bradbury. Bradbury” She kept repeating the words like a mantra, sometimes while staring at a mirror and other times when she worked.

 Dean had asked her to pack up everything in the house, though most boxes were headed for the trash. They weren’t going to take much with them, she had just one backpack at the moment, and he had promised they could buy whatever else she might need once they had moved.

 

 So for the past three days she had busied herself sorting through Winchester family belongings. Most things were either his dad’s or his brother’s and while she had kept a few comfortable looking shirts and some of Sam’s books, there was a lot of flannel and plaid to throw out.

 

 Dean had asked her to keep John Winchester’s records and the couple of Sam’s trophies from school, along with a few family pictures she had found.

 

 When Dean had first told her she could clear this place out after she had asked to do something, she had expected it to take a lot longer. Honestly, this was his whole childhood and the idea that she could get done with it in three days was quite disturbing.

 

 Still, it gave her a better insight on the Winchesters, sort of.

 

 “Charlie?” She hadn’t heard Dean return but scrambled to her feet all the same.

 

 “You’re back early” She told him, glad to realise she hadn’t spent hours daydreaming.

 

“Yeah, just needed a shower before heading out” Dean answered, now making her frown.

 

 She got used to it, him leaving after breakfast, getting home around five and they’d mostly watch a movie or just chat and then around ten, he’d take off again, getting home a few hours later. On the first day she thought he just needed a drink but on the second, he had admitted he went out to hustle pool.

 

 Still, it was barely one in the afternoon now, and if he was already done at the garage and the bar wouldn’t open till much later she had to ask “Where are you going?”

 

 He stopped for a moment before walking back to her, a hand rubbing at the back of his neck and his eyes set on the wall behind her as he admitted “To the hospital”

 

 The word made her freeze completely and she knew - she knew she couldn’t go but she missed her mom and really wanted to see her again. It made her chew on her lip and wish she hadn’t asked.

 

 Dean waited a few seconds before walking away without another word and she simply curled into the couch and stayed there.

* * *

 

 Dean stared at the form he had to sign to take away the only things that were keeping his dad alive. He didn’t know how people were expected to do this, and the one hour of sitting with a pen in hand didn’t make it easier.

 

 He looked at his dad again, not sure what he was supposed to feel or if he was supposed to say anything even. He dredged up a few good days, those rare times when John was sober or the vague memories from before mom died.

 

 “It’s not fair” He told the man “It’s not fair that I still care when you never did”

 

 The machine that kept him breathing simply continued to do it’s job, reminding him again that his father was gone.

 

 “Goddamnit!” Dean cursed, anger making him sign the paper and storm out of the room.

 

 But that didn’t last long, when a nurse came in to turn all the machines off, he had simply collapsed next to him to watch the pulse drop on the monitor.

 

 “Say hi to mom for me” He finally managed, one hand gripping his dad’s forearm.

 

 After that, he had stayed in silence, watching as the man well and truly died. He sat there even as they wheeled him away and when he left the hospital hours later, he had still not spoken a word.

 

 He didn't think he could, and was glad he had had the foresight to make the arrangements to transfer Charlie’s mother under his care before dealing with his dad. It was only until they found the girl - at least that’s what he told the hospital. They had hesitated in the beginning but he insisted and after he claimed it was his father’s fault and that he owed the missing girl that much, they had agreed.

 

 He’d also promised Gertrude Middleton that he’d take care of her daughter, but when he walked out of the hospital, he couldn’t so much as look at the woman whose life he had chosen to keep in exchange for his father’s.

* * *

 

 It was 4.30 in the morning when the front door finally unlocked and Charlie flung herself at Dean with tears streaking down her face.

 

 She had waited up initially because for some unexplainable reason, she had wanted to see him when he got back from visiting the hospital. Maybe in a way it was comforting that someone visited her mom when she couldn’t - even if Dean had gone there for his dad.

 

 She’d expected him back after sundown and had started worrying around nine. By midnight she was panicking and the hysterics hadn’t stopped since then. In the last few hours, she had been sure he was gone.

 

 He had stumbled backwards, both of them crashing to the ground, but she refused to let him go. It was only after she had clung to him for over twenty minutes and calmed her thoughts, that she realised he wasn’t holding her.

 

 Sniffing slightly, she glanced up to see a dazed look and tear tracks on his face.

 

 “Dean?” She called quietly, his green eyes flicking down to hers but still lacking complete clarity.

 

 Now properly scared again, she scrambled off him to try figure out what happened. At some point he decided to help and handed her the bag he was holding; Charlie nearly dropping it when she finally looked in at the sealed contents.

 

 “My dad” He told her hoarsely and she could only stare at the ashes that was once John Winchester.   

 

  It made no sense to begin with and she had wanted to ask if something went wrong, if that’s why he had rushed to the hospital that afternoon, but deep down she knew he had pulled the plug.

 

 And so they both just stayed there on the hallway floor, the bag of ashes on her lap and absolute silence between them.

* * *

 

 It was the morning paper hitting the front door that made Dean finally move. Still not speaking, he stood and picked up the bag of ashes before holding out a hand to help her up.

 

 Charlie stayed quiet too, following after and simply hovering as he made them breakfast. Once that was done, he pointed for her to go to bed and locked himself into the bathroom for a long shower.

 

 It was only after he had drained the hot water and frozen himself completely in the cold, that he stepped out to see she was still not asleep.

 

 The fourteen year old was sitting cross legged on the bed and at the sight of him, she held out her hands. Too emotionally drained to care about it, he had climbed in next to her and wrapped an arm around the smaller body that curled against his chest.

 

 Charlie pressed a kiss against his cheek but said nothing else until they both gave into their exhaustion and fell asleep, Dean swearing to himself that it would get better when he woke up.

 

 For once he was glad to be right, as awkward as the first few hours had been, he had slipped out to the bar around ten again, and considering it was Saturday night and the crowd was thicker, he had found a guy willing to fuck him almost immediately.

 

 When he realised it was only midnight when they guy was done, he let himself be used by another client and with three hundred dollars in his pocket, he made it home to see her up again.

 

 She’d admitted that sleeping all day meant she couldn’t sleep again and they had ended up watching The legend of Zorro, the redhead fast asleep by the time the credits rolled. He had put her back in bed and by Sunday morning, both of them had recovered their spirits enough to slowly fall back into routine.

* * *

 

 “Dean?” Charlie was hesitant to broach this subject, but they were leaving Lawrence in two days, and she really wanted to know.

 

 The Winchester made an odd sound of acknowledgement from under his car that she could barely hear over the music playing, but she had meant for it to be this way. She didn’t quite want to see his expression when - if - he answered.

 

 “You don’t have to answer right now - but uh - your mom -” She trailed off and was greeted as she expected with absolute silence from him.

 

 “Dead” He answered after a good ten minutes.

 

 “When you were four, I know. I saw the police report while trying to pack the boxes” She admitted, not wanting to add that she had also seen a few pictures of the beautiful woman.

 

 Her hair was a shade lighter than Dean’s, but the freckles and the eyes and the smile had all been the same and Charlie hadn’t been able to stop staring at the picture of the woman with her first born, both of them leaning over the kitchen counter with the same broad smile.

 

 “I just - she’s buried here right?” She asked and this time, Dean refused to answer.

 

 That in no way stopped her from making her way to the graveyard by herself when Dean was at work the next day and wandering around until she found the right one.

 

 It was a simple headstone and apart from the name and dates, the only words written were ‘loving mother, beloved wife’

 

 She knew leaving flowers would mean Dean would know she'd been there, but she wanted to anyway. What she didn't expect was that he would bring up the subject himself the morning they were leaving.

 

 “Why?” He had asked bluntly and she couldn’t tell if he was displeased.

 

 “I wanted to thank her… and tell her we’re family now” Charlie answered carefully, not quite surprised when Dean only kissed the top of her head, but otherwise kept from saying anything else.

 

 He didn't have to anyway, after all, they were leaving Kansas and the only life they had known behind to start over far away, and neither of them were doing it alone. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Well, that's an open ending for you, so please do leave your thoughts in the comments below! Also, this is a product of 3am boredom and is not quite edited to perfection, so if you spot any errors (or are willing to beta it) please do let me know!
> 
> Oh and any suggestions about if I should make it into a series - because Sam, alright? - would be welcome too, just saying - xx


End file.
